High chair construction



Dec. 5, 1950 P. J. KEOUGH 2,532,556

HIGH CHAIR CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 20, 1946 i atented Dec.

HIGH CHAIR CONSTRUCTION Patrick Keoush, Gardner; Mas assi or to Arlington Chair (10., Gardner, Mass, at corpo ration of Massachusetts ann ic t dn ov mber .20, 1946, erial N 711 05 1 1 This invention relates in general to highchair constructions and me particularly to an even safety guarding and justable tray device.

Objects of the invention include the provision of a safety guard tray transduction for high chairs in which the tray is cqmpese'd .of a separable integral member which is adjustable forwai'dly and back rdly of the chair, i e., to and from the infant in thechair, and at the same time, the adjusting echanism providing means for completely removing the tray from the chair; the provision of an adjustable tray supported on a safety frame which is capable of carrying the tray in a pivoting fashion back and up overhead with regard to the infant in the chair in the usual manner of trays which do not have the adjustments with which this invention is concerned.

.A further important objector the invention resides in a safety device fortl'ie .ehair campus.- ing a pivoted frame in the shap of a bow which extends across the arms of the and to the tray is detachably' secured adjustable relation thereto, said pivoting 6r swinging frame being effective to prevent the infant from falling out of the chair even though the tray be completely. removed therefl fli' ii I U 'A' further object of the invention resides in the provision of the novel construction of the tray itself as will become apparent hereinafter.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a view in side elevation of a chair with the new safety tray attached thereto, parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the tray showing its relation to the swinging frame;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a partial front view showing the safety frame resting on the arms of a chair.

The present invention may be used with any conventional chair or high chairs having arms, whether of the rigid or folding two purpose type. In Fig. 1 a conventional chair is shown as having a back ID, a set l2, legs [4, arms l6, and arm brackets [8. This construction is old and well known in the art and it is believed that it need not be described in further detail.

Pivoted to the back In there is a U-shaped swinging safety frame 20 which has a front portion 22 extending across and resting on the arms l6 so that the frame 20 may rest on the arms l6 as seen in Fig. 1 or it may be pivoted to the rear gullies, see Figs. .2 and 4. At appropriate plan 4' Claims; (01. 135 -121) '2 overhead to aspen down at the back of th chair as i conventional in high chairs where a tray is permanently secured to or forms an iii;

tegiial part of a swinging frame. In the present case it is pre erred but not required that the frame be made of a singlepiece of tubing, such as aluminum. The frame 20 ma be ivotauy' secured to the back It? by means of screws .24 taking into the back. as seen in Fig. 2.

According t6 the prese ji ve t the ray. ch is generally di e ed t 26, s me i one piece which may be molded or otherwise formed. Completely around the peripherykof tfa'y t ere is provided a downwardly .exten in'g flange 28 which is o ned to the supporting sur' face of the tray through a easy or the like shown at as m Figs". .2 and 4. mm on the upper supporti g surface er the may. as seen at 32. The nder Side Of the tray is vided with a central downwardly exte'riding hollow boss 34 integral therewith and having radiati g therefrom a series of strengthening ribs 36,. these ribs extending almost but not quite to the free edge of flange 28 and also extending across the.

enlarged bosses 38' arersrjmed and these bos may be provided with threaded inserts for a pur: pose to be described.

' In each edge of the tray at the under side thereof there are provided a pair of plates 49,

these plates having rounded bent up edge portions 42 providing sliding guides receiving the side members of frame 20. Each plate is provided with a pair of screws 44 which are threaded into bosses 38 thereby providing a strong and rigid construction securing the plates as the under side of the tray, it being noted that the bent portions 42 forming the guides for the frame as depend downwardly from the under side of the tray, see Fig. 1.

Each of the guides 42 adjacent its free end is provided with a spring pressed plunger 46 located in a housing 48 and having secured thereto a finger piece 50 so that the plunger 46 may be retracted or selectively allowed to be extended under influence of a spring 52 to enter a series of holes 54 in the under side of th side runs of the frame 20'. If desired the forward portion of the tray may be provided with a depending boss or leg 56 terminating on a level with the finger pieces 50.

With the tray in position on the frame 20, as seen in Fig. 1, the finger pieces 50 may be depressed and the tray adjusted along the frame 20 in the direction of the arrow to the position de- This gully forms a sired; or selectively the tray may be completely removed from the frame 20 for the cleaning or for use as a portable tray, in the latter case the leg 56 forming a three point support therefor so that the tray may be put on a table in horizontal condition.

It is to be particularly noted that with the tray attached to frame 20, the frameZll and tray are swingable as a unit backwardly and overhead so as to depend vertically downwardly at the rear of the chair, and the usual safety strap may be selectively secured to the frame to prevent such swinging.

It is also particularly pointed out that with the tray removed, an infant in the chair is still safely guarded because the front rail 22 of frame 20 provides a means for preventing the infant from falling out of the chair. By means of the above described construction the present invention presents a safety guard for an infant, which, however, is swingalole up overhead with or without the tray attached; the tray is adjustable to and from the infant; the tray is completely removable; but when attached is rigidly held and cannot be accidentally removed particularly since the finger pieces 50 are down under the side runs of frame 20 and will not form attractive play things for the infant while seated in the chair. The tray itself is strong and rigid and is of one piece molded construction having a rim at the top surface thereof and strengthening construction of novel design on the bottom surface.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed otherwise than is set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. An article of manufacture comprising a seat, an upstanding support, and a pair of spaced horizontal supports, a frame pivoted to the first support and including a cross piece resting on and across the horizontal supports in spaced relation to the first support, and a detachable tray on the frame adapted to form a substantially horizontal article support with the cross piece in position on the arms, the frame being otherwise free of the arms.

2. The article of manufacture of claim 1 including a pair of guides secured to the tray at the under surface thereof and a pair of side rims on the frame received in the guides, so that the tray is slidably guided on the pivoted frame.

3. A high chair or the like comprising a seat, back, and spaced arms, a frame having side runs pivoted to the back and a cross piece resting on the arms, a tray, uide members on the tray receiving the side runs to adjustably guide the tray to and from on the side runs, a spring latch in 'each guide member, means on the side runs selectively engageable by the latches to secure the tray in adjusted positions, said tray [being removable and the frame being pivotable over the back with or without the tray, said spring latches being vertically disposed at the undersides of the guide members so that said latches do not project laterally.

4. A high chair comprising a seat, back and spaced arms, a frame pivoted to the back and including a pair of spaced side runs, a tray, semicircular guides sccured to the tray at the underside thereof and extending laterally thereof and oppositely with respect to each other, the open sides of the guides facing each other and re-' ceiving said runs, and a depending spring latch vertically disposed on each guide and adapted to engage in holes in the runs.

PATRICK J. KEOUGH.

REFERENCES'CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 7 Great Britain May 17, 1934 

